Woman sentenced in case charging she hired sister as "phantom employee"

The former head of Western Nevada Community College's day-care center was sentenced Tuesday to a suspended jail term in a case charging she hired her sister as a "phantom employee."

Raylene Sue Golden, 47, pleaded in November to the lesser charge of nepotism for hiring her sister at the college.

"We allowed her to plead to nepotism," said Deputy Attorney General David Neidert. He said Golden was charged with hiring and paying her sister, Elizabeth Stuart, without requiring the woman to come to work. The original case against her charged her with obtaining money under false pretenses.

"The contention was that she was a phantom employee," Neidert said.

"While some day-care center employees recall Golden introducing Stuart as her sister, none remember seeing Stuart working at the day care center as an employee," according to Neidert.

District Court Judge Mike Griffin sentenced Golden to eight months in the Carson City Jail. Neidert said the sentence was suspended on conditions including that Golden submit to a search for evidence of stolen documents, notify future employers of the conviction if she is placed in a position of control over money, obtain a psychological evaluation and maintain full-time employment.

She must also pay restitution totaling $5,634.